My beautiful lady, Jordyn, traveled to Japan for work last month, and since she speaks fluent Japanese, she was able to get deep into the local history and experience some authentic traditions.

She arrived in the ryokan, a hot spring fed by the local volcanic springs. You can see how clean and amazing the mineral water appears. The old ladies are stirring the water to ensure an even temperature throughout the bath. At the bottom is the day and night view of the little town, Kusatsu Onsen. It’s a twelve hundred year old bathhouse located right in the middle of Japan, west of Tokyo.

Near the hot springs, lies a picturesque mountain that belies the murmuring belly of a volcano that most recently exploded in 2006. You can barely see the drizzles of smoke escaping the volcanic mouth. The little red monster, Oni, is believed to have created the volcano. There are two cute pictures of Japanese daily life in the nearby town.